Abstract: In our report, the effects of exterior walls with openings on seismic performances of the shear-wall structure of a tall residential building with I-shaped plan were analyzed. Firstly, YJK structure analysis software was used to demonstrate the rationality of the chosen structural scheme; secondly, according to the proportion of the horizontal seismic shear shared by wall limb of different parts in plan and the rule of natural variation period ratio of the torsional motion to the translational motion of the structure, the effects of the shear-wall of different parts, especially the exterior walls with openings, on seismic performances of the structure were analyzed. The results indicated that the contribution of the exterior walls with openings to the whole structure's lateral stiffness and torsional stiffness is evident, which can provide references for seismic design of the similar engineering structures.